Stand By Me
by Wandering-Mind 95
Summary: Everyone has a soulmate, no questions asked. On your 17th birthday, your soulmates name appears on your wrist…and only disappears with their death. So when Harry's 17th birthday came and passed with no name, she assumed they were dead, killed in the beginning of the war against Voldemort. So why, nearly a decade later, do two names appear on her wrist?
1. Stand By Me

Just another abnormality to add to the list of freaky things concerning her. With the events that had happened, losing Hedwig and Moody only a few days before, sleep eluded her and the only thing that kept her focus were the words that were set to appear on her skin in a few hours. She'd gotten through the birthday celebrations and tomorrow was Bill and Fleur's wedding. All she needed was good news, she just needed to see the writing appear on her wrist.

The hours passed, midnight was approaching, her actual birth time having passed minutes ago. Yet, still, no words.

Bitter disappointment filled her as August 1, 1997 hit and still nothing. But she didn't cry.

It was just another bitter reminder of the crap life she had been dealt: Soul marks don't appear if your soul mate is dead.

/

She had settled down after the war, taking up a job as an Auror, hunting down Death Eaters who had escaped the war. Serving out justice and revenge for the soulmate she knew must've died at the beginning of Voldemort's war.

A soulmate was something to be cherished, someone to understand the deepest parts of you, someone who saw the ugly and accepted it without question.

All her life, she had looked forward to her 17th birthday because she knew, in her heart, that there was someone out there waiting for her. Those dark, cold night in the cupboard, the only thing that kept her going was the promise of her soulmate.

But now that dream was gone and she had to watch as everyone around her found their happiness and she was left in her sorrow, broken and alone.

/

Over a decade after the war had ended, she felt a fire engulf her wrist at the most inopportune time. Ducking a curse, she sent a paralysis spell into the dust just as her hand faltered with the stinging sensation.

Focusing on her hearing, she relaxed slightly when she heard the telltale signs of a body hitting the ground.

Safe for a moment, she removed her wrist guard to examine her skin.

Green eyes widened, mouth turning dry as she took in the blistering red lines that spelled out a name she had been waiting her whole life for. Her heart swelled as tears threatened to spill from her eyes in happiness.

He was out there waiting for her, her soulmate, and she would find him. She would find her soulmate.

James Buchannan Barnes

/

There was no wizard by the names James Buchannan Barnes. She searched through all the reports filed at the Auror Office, in the Registration Office, hell, she even took a peek at the Hogwarts registry when McGonagall wasn't looking. But he was nowhere to be found.

His name narrowed down her search to Australia, Canada, and America. With a name like Barnes, he was bound to be in some British colony or a former British colony.

She didn't have much time to search, being the Head of the Auror Office did mean something after all. With that responsibility did come some perks she didn't mind abusing. If she sent out her soulmates name to the previously mentions countries, she wasn't about to say what for.

No doubt Hermione would scold her for abusing her powers for such personal and invasive reason but then again, she didn't have to know.

She would trace the letters of his name, marveling at the way they rolled off her tongue like these three words were meant for her lips only. At night, she'd picture what he was like. If he was brash and headstrong like her father and godfather or if he was quiet and sweet like Remus. Did he live a quiet life or was he just as tortured as her?

She wondered if her godfather was having a laugh that her soulmate shared his name with her father and what jokes he'd make at their expense. She could almost hear it, the barking laughter as Remus tried his best to control his best friend, failing when he inevitably joined in.

She missed them.

/

It was only a few years after, still no trace of her soulmate, that her wrist burned again. This time, thankfully, while she was doing paperwork and not in the middle of a deadly duel.

Placing the quill down, she slowly rolled up her sleeve, petrified that his name would no longer be there. That her soulmate would've died without ever having met her. Instead, she found a new name.

Steven Grant Rogers

She'd never heard of someone having two soul mates before, let alone having the marks appear years apart. Then again, when had anything normal happened to her?

She did the normal asking around again and came up with a few names this time but the two she had found were already happily married to their soulmate. Her Steven Rogers was nowhere to be found either.

She wondered if the two knew each other, that they were both untraceable. That brought up another uncomfortable question for her though. What if they already knew each other and were just fine without her?

What if she found them and there was no place for her in their lives?

Could she deal with that disappointment, such heartbreak? The loss of someone who was supposed to be her match in every possible way.

But three halves don't make a whole.

/

She was called into MACUSA in the aftermath of what was being described as an alien invasion. Hermione and she were the only two who understood the significance of such an event, having learned about space exploration and the chance of life beyond Earth.

MACUSA had taken great damage and their forces were spread thinly across New York and the rest of the country. They were calling on help from the ICW and Kingsley had volunteered her office, confident in her leadership and training.

She took a team of her best Aurors and an international portkey later, they were standing in the debris-filled lobby of Woolworth Building.

"Bloody hell! Looks like a battle took place in here," one of her Aurors whistled, examining the damage.

"Remember, we are here to help. New York was significantly damaged and we are search and rescue but also keep an eye out for any illegal activity. I wouldn't put it past Graggok and his gang to take advantage of the chaos to smuggle in endangered creatures and other illegal activities. Ebbingdales has already been looted once."

She rolled her eyes at the mention of the goblin criminal. He wasn't the worst criminal there was but he was known of in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. She heard all about him back when Hermione was still in the department. There was a case of a pair of smuggled Runespoor that had been intercepted in Liverpool that had been the crux for her friend transferring to Magical Law Enforcement.

"Now, the city has been divided into quadrants and you will be paired off with an American Auror." She looked at each of her men to stress the seriousness of her next statements, "The muggles are on high alert right now. Anything out of the ordinary will be shoot first, ask questions later. DO NOT give them a reason to have suspicion."

The witches and wizards under her command nodded their head in understanding.

"I don't want any of you taking unnecessary risks. If anything comes up, use your coins and I will come."

These people were her people. She had trained them from the Academy and oversaw their tremendous growth and commitment. They put their trust in her and she swore to protect them.

Releasing them to meet with their temporary partners, she looked around the ruined building and began to fix the entrance and lobby. They needed a safe place to discuss strategy and mark off the cleared areas. Pollingtonus (POTS) Hospital was already overcrowded and they needed to work on getting the seriously injured to the hospital. Healers were already out scouring the city for injured witches and wizards and the stray magical creature.

She looked up when she heard approaching footsteps. "Director Graves. I've already sent my Aurors out and gave specific directions to avoid suspicion."

The Director of Magical Security nodded at her initiative, glancing around and waving his wand. Between the two of them, the lobby was habitable with no risk of injury.

"The building has been stabilized and the enchantments have been reinforced. Woolworth is operational despite the appearance." He was very direct and to the point, she imagined he was very strict with his people as well.

She nodded, knowing how seriously the Americans took secrecy and security.

"Have you sent anyone to the actual site yet?"

From what she had gathered, there had been a hole ripped open in the sky where this invasion happened.

"Initial investigations evaluated the threat as being purely No-Maji. Their people fought and defeated these creatures. Our resources have been spent pulling together our magical community here. The attack may have been on the no-magi but the causalities fell on both sides."

That made sense; these creatures attacking would have no way to distinguish between muggle and magical, not that it probably mattered to them.

She deferred to Graves for further directions. She was here to help him and his people.

/

It was an exhausting day, one filled with no less than a dozen arrests, five magical transfers, and an impromptu rescue of a rather rude Jarvey she was inclined to just leave trapped in the rubble.

She was making her way back to Woolworth to report to Graves that her quadrant was cleared.

Thinking over the day, she thought of the upcoming week and how little sleep was waiting for her. She and her team had taken the portkey around noon and with time zones, arrived in the US around 6 AM. It was quarter till 8 now, meaning they had been up and working for close to 20 hours. Her feet were dragging and she wished she hadn't used her last Pepper-Up potion on the obnoxious old wizard who made it his job to tell her just how dissatisfied he was that he had been forced to wait nearly threes days before being rescued. Honestly, she wasn't sure the man had been all there in the head as he kept going on and on about how she didn't visit him enough and she was ungrateful to the sacrifices he had made for her.

She happily handed the man off to MMES (Magical Medical Emergency Services) who tried to calm the man and explain that she wasn't his daughter.

Thank Merlin for that.

She'd need a bottle or two of Firewhiskey when she returned to the office, but that could only happen after her meeting with Graves and President Quahog.

So lost in thought she was, she didn't notice the man exiting the store in front of her.

It was like running into a brick wall except brick walls don't catch you before you hit the ground.

Looking up, it definitely wasn't a brick wall she ran into. It was a very tall, very muscular man who now held her up with one arm.

"Are you okay, ma'am?" his blue eyes crinkled in concern.

She shook off the supporting arm, mouth open to respond when she spotted Auror Mattis coming towards her.

"Sir!" he paused, looking at the man she had run into. "We're waiting on you to start the meeting. Director Graves sent me out to find you."

She grinned sheepishly, offering an apologetic smile to the man she had run into. "I'm so sorry. I must be more tired than I realize, running into you like that."

"Potter!" Mattis practically demanded impatiently. She wondered just how long they had been waiting for her.

"Thank you and I'm sorry once again." She threw him her most sincere smile before walking past him, gripping Mattis's arm tightly, whispering in his ear low enough she was sure the stranger couldn't hear her. "It's called manners Mattis, maybe you should try them."

But her second was just as quick, "Manners are not keeping us waiting for the last hour. POTS reported that you released your last rescue over an hour and a half ago."

"Getting around New York isn't that easy if you can't tell. We've only been here less than 24-hours."

The rest trailed off as the sounds of the city overlapped the conversing couple but Steve continued to stand, rooted in the same stop he had been in since hearing the man call the woman's name.

He had said Potter and she was clearly British. What were the chances? He chanced to glance at the name that had appeared on his wrist when he awoke from the ice, right under the name James Buchannan Barnes. Those words gave him hope. After Bucky fell, he couldn't bear to look at his wrist anymore. He didn't want to see the words that had been imprinted on his skin since he was seventeen-years-old disappear. But seeing them now meant that Bucky was out there somewhere, alive. He didn't know how but he would find him.

/

They met each other entirely by chance again. She was out with Graves setting up perimeters around magical areas. Turnaround Square, located near Times Square, had sustained heavy damage and the two were assessing the damage and repairing what they could of the wards.

Steve was out helping in the clean up when he saw the messy auburn hair he had burned into his memory.

"Hello again." He could tell he hadn't spooked her as she calmly turned around when he started to speak.

"Hullo." Those eyes, he couldn't look away from them. "I'm fully awake today, no unexpected crashes, I promise!"

Even her laugh captivated him.

He dropped the piece of debris he had been moving, wiping his hands on his pants before offering her one, introducing himself.

"I'm Steve Rogers."

Immediately, her laughter cut off, wide eyes turning to him in barely concealed hope before moving to her covered wrist and his covered one.

"Rosemary Potter. But everyone calls me Harry," she breathed out, completely lost in finally finding one of her soulmates.

"Can I?" Steve indicated to her covered wrist. She held it hesitantly, no one having ever seen it before. He grabbed her hand gently, cupping the back of her it as his other pushed the sleeve away and pulled the wristband up.

His breath caught at the confirmation. There on her wrist were their names, both his and Bucky's. Joy filled eyes found hers and his smile grew at the look of sheer marvel gracing her face.

She reached for his own sleeve and he let her.

"Potter!"

They both jerked, having forgotten they weren't alone. Harry turned to the voice, "Graves."

Steve watched as his soulmate deferred to this Graves. This must be the Director Graves who had been waiting for her for a meeting.

The dark eyes flew to the both of them, the intimacy they must present before they widened when they focused on him. Steve braced for the common reaction he had received the last few days since his return was officially announced. Instead, those dark eyes turned to his soulmate.

"I just received a Class 5 in Quadrant 13. They're not sure what else had been held there so I'm diverting everyone there to help. You can meet me when you're done here."

Steve could sense that there was more to it that was purposely left out.

Harry turned her attention back to him, the same sheepish grin adorning her face as when he first met her. She turned his wrist over in her hand, almost tenderly before moving the bandages out of the way. She traced her name as if seeing it for the first time. Steve felt a shiver crawl through his body at her feather-light touch.

Giving him another apologetic grin, Harry dropped his wrist and pulled away.

"I'm actually in New York for the rest of the week for work. My shift ends around 7 if you want to meet up?"

Steve let that sink in, she didn't live in the city, before agreeing.

"I'm free. I've been volunteering my time with the cleanup."

"Great! 7:30 outside the Woolworth Building?"

Steve agreed to the date, bidding her farewell as she left to go meet up with her team.

She gave him one final blinding smile which he returned.

It took him a moment after cooling down to realize that she had had no idea who he was. She hadn't reacted to his appearance or his name beyond the fact that it was on her wrist. Did that mean she didn't know? That she didn't know the story of Bucky as well? Would he have to break that news to her?

He climbed onto his motorcycle and let his thoughts drift to actually having to plan a date. Back with Bucky, he had always been the one surprised. His soulmate loved to spoil Steve and then with the war, there was never really any time for proper dates.

Harry appeared in Riverside State Park. Apparently, her Aurors had found a crate full of kelpie ready for transport. The transport of mass kelpie was outlawed over two decades ago when too many were being caught in the wild for private collections.

By the look of the hidden compound, they may have stumbled upon an illegal magical creature holding. There were broken crates and a few dead creatures that had been identified as baby dragons, puffkeins, and a grindelow.

That's all they needed, were unidentified magical creatures wandering around New York. Graves and herself were working on tracing any magical signature they could find to see if they could find who was behind this.

She put the meeting out of her mind and got to work. She had a job to do and criminals to catch.

/

It took longer then she anticipated. The number of creatures released hadn't been as many as they thought but they had dispersed far. Graves had taken over tracing the magic signatures as he was more familiar with the known criminals in the area who specialized in creature trafficking

That left her to scourer the park and the lake. She had a tussle with the other grindelows in the lake so when she stood outside Woolworth Building, she wasn't exactly looking her best.

It was past 7:30 and she hoped she hadn't scared him off. As far as first impressions go, she wasn't making a very good one, or second one.

He was easy to spot, he just had a presence that commanded you to pay attention to him. Harry took the time to observe him for a moment. She wondered if he was a powerful wizard, someone with that aura couldn't be mediocre. But Graves hadn't said anything about him earlier.

He turned and caught sight of her, messy and all, and a smile lit up his face as he moved to meet her.

"Rough day?" Steve chuckled as he took in her appearance.

Despite being bone tired, Harry felt a smile spread across her face as well, "Something like that."

The anticipation of finally meeting one of her soulmates overrode all fatigue and frustration. Just the thought of getting to know him gave her the extra energy she needed to get through the night.

"Have you had dinner?"

"We barely had time for lunch."

Steve had his work cut out for him. He was still adjusting to this century so showing his soulmate around his city might be difficult but he imagined they could make an adventure out of it.

For the first time since he woke up all those months ago, he was looking forward to his future.

/

"So, what do you do?" Harry started off easy. He obviously didn't work for MACUSA so that left independent or small time work.

Steve scrunched his eyes together, a frown gracing his features as if what she had asked didn't make sense to him.

Did she really not know who he was? With the invasion only a few days ago and the announcement, he figured that the whole world knew Steve Rogers, Captain America, was alive.

Maybe this was a good thing.

"I was in the army for a few years. I only got back a few months ago. Been trying to readjust since."

It was Harry's turn to give him a curious glance. Wizards didn't join the army.

"What about you? You must be here helping with the cleanup?"

Steve ignored the stares as he grabbed their order from the counter and motioned for Harry to follow him out. The stores that were open were jam-packed with people looking for food. Instead of being surrounded by so many people, he figured they'd like some privacy so they were walking a few blocks away from the businesses that had been lucky enough to remain open.

Harry took the offered food gratefully.

"Director Graves requested my departments help in the city. We're familiar with each other so my team and I will be here for the next week until everything quiets down."

Steve didn't mention that she had avoided the question but then again, it could be something she didn't want to disclose. He noticed her wrist was covered again.

"Well, thank you. The city needs all the help it can get to get back on its feet."

"Were you here? When the attack happened, I mean."

So she clearly had no idea who he was nor the role he had played in stopping the invasion. Stark would absolutely love her.

"Yes, I was here. I helped get people to safety. "

Harry looked at him with wide eyes, searching his body for injuries.

"So, you're the hero type." She hid her smile in her food. Great, despite the obvious soul marks, she knew Hermione would say they were fated to be soulmates.

Steve stopped the blush from crossing his face, "No, just tryin to do the right thing."

"Well, Mister Just-Tryin-To-Do-The-Right-Thing, the world needs more people like you," she nudged him playfully as they finally found an open bench. "Even destroyed, the city looks beautiful."

Steve gazed at her as she took in his city in awe, "It's changed since I was here last but it's still home, ya know?"

He could tell she understood by the slight fall of her face before it brightened again.

"So, just how old are you? You said you were in the army."

He decided to go with his body's age and not how old he really was. "I'm 28."

"Really?"

Steve looked at her in mock defensiveness, "Is that going to be a problem."

Harry held back a laugh, "No, I was actually expecting you to be younger. I'll be 32 the end of July."

It was Steve's turn to be wide-eyed, speechless.

She was 32. She had been waiting almost 15 years for him to show up. What must've been going through her head?

She must've been able to read something from his face because an inquiring expression settled over her laugh lines, appearing to be in thought.

"About that. Did your names appear later than normal?"

"What d'ya mean?"

"Well, it's just, your name didn't appear until a few months ago and James' name appeared only a few years ago." She stopped to take him in, looking for him to reject her. "I'd thought you were dead. A lot of people died around me growing up, I was so sure that you must've been one of them."

And that just hit him like a giant-sized fist. She had mourned them, mourned a life they could never live, for years. But how could he tell her that he had been frozen for almost seven decades?

"But you're here now! And clearly not dead. All we need to do is find James!" She was putting on a happy face for him, to hide the hurt buried beneath her skin. He would let her for now because she would only be hurt by what he had to tell her next.

"About James…He actually goes by Bucky and…" It was hard to think about Bucky let alone talk about him.

Her stomach plummeted. So they did know one another and were rather close if the fond expression was anything to go by.

"I-I think I understand. You two have already made a life."

Steve broke out of his thoughts, grabbing her wrist, "No! No. We did at one point, since we were little, but he's been missing for a long time."

That wasn't how he wanted to break it to her but she had to know that there was room for her.

It was obvious now more than ever that they were very alone on the worn bench. Steve hanging onto Harry's wrist, imploring her to stay as they were both now standing. Her auburn hair highlighted in the setting sun, she couldn't understand what it was he was asking of her. Was she a replacement for a love he had lost?

"Stay," Steve begged, releasing her wrist so they could both stand straight. He wanted her to stay. He could feel a connection with her, feel that they were kindred souls. She felt it too, he could tell. "Please."

Harry looked at him unsurely. She could feel a pull towards him, something she had never felt towards another person. She wanted so bad to collapse onto this bench and spill her heart out to Steve…but she knew better. She had lived through a war and headed the Aurors. She was no stranger to the cruelties of this world and the people in it. She refused to let herself be broken

She took a step back and then another, never breaking eye contact with those blue eyes she knew she would dream about. She gave him one last look, trying to convey everything she couldn't say before she turned around to walk away, "I'm sorry."

And Steve did nothing but let her walk away. He had no right to do anything more.

If what he felt in the three years without Bucky was anything to go by, he couldn't image 15 years of holding out hope that someone was out there for him. Harry had every right to walk away.

So he watched her walk away, the reds and oranges of the sunset haloing around her in a silhouette.

/

The next few days, Harry worked on autopilot. She got the orders from Graves and then gave out instructions to her team. The city was mostly repaired and they have MACUSA up and running. POTS had discharged their last patient from the attack and they hadn't found anyone else.

If she was working to the bone, no one mentioned anything for which she was thankful. Only Mattis and Graves had seen her with Steve.

Like she had predicted, she dreamed about those blue eyes every night. She questioned her decision but knew in the end, everything would only end badly for her.

Steve felt like he was losing his mind. Every glimpse of red had him seeing her. He couldn't get her out of his head!

He was withdrawn and he wasn't sure he could continue on with this life he had built up for himself without having her by his side.

The thing about soulmates is that not everything was romantic between them. Having a soulmate was something to cherish. It was like having your other half, someone who could understand you with no words being spoken, someone whose mere presence could calm you. They were a companion. And yes, most did end up marrying their soulmates but not everyone did. Some were siblings, some were best friends, and in rare cases, they were enemies. So maybe he was selfish with his wish for her. He wanted to be around her because it made him feel whole, feel like he was around Bucky again. But he wasn't lying to her. He wanted to know her for her because she was _his_ soulmate. She was his other half and he wasn't sure how that could happen or why but he knew there was a reason for it just like there was a reason Bucky's name had never faded from his wrist like he had believed. And he could tell when he looked her in the eyes that she needed him as well. She was lost and she maybe needed him more than he needed her. Going that long looking for a soulmate, let alone believing they were dead for the better part of a decade…she needed him.

He waited outside Woolsworth every night, hoping to get a glimpse of her somewhere.

It was on his fifth straight night he was approached by the man Harry had been with the second time they met, the man that had looked to recognize him.

All the man had to do was lock eyes and motion in a direction with his head and Steve was following like a little, lost puppy.

"You're Steve Rogers, Captain America." There was no question in his voice, the man knew exactly who he was yet his soulmate had not.

All he did was nod in confirmation. There was a reason this man, this Graves, had him follow him.

"Rosemary Potter is not a woman to take what she wants. She is fire and danger…she is darkness in the deepest abyss. She is ruthless and thorough."

Steve didn't understand what this man was saying. None of what he said matched with the lady he had come to know in those few hours.

"But she refuses to be selfish, to take what she desires. She fears being consumed by want and need." Graves looked over the man with a penetrating stare, judging him, appraising him of his worthiness of this goddess of a woman he was describing.

"You're wondering why I'm telling you this." Again there was no question. "Rosemary Potter is good at what she does. I believe with the right motivation, she might one day be great. But as of now, she lacks the commitment. She goes through the motions and that will only get her so far."

Steve thought that Harry was only working with Graves temporary but how he speaks of her makes it seem as if he knows her rather well.

"You asked her to stay and she declined."

Why was he letting this man stand here lecturing him on _his_ soulmate? Right, because he knew her better than him. And didn't that just sting.

"I won't force her into something she doesn't want. I asked and she declined. I have to respect her wishes."

Graves refrained from letting out a snort, it being below someone of his position but you could see the displeasure on his face.

"She has a record of picking exactly what is worse for her – which leads us to why I'm here." Steve looked around and was surprised that no one had stopped him yet. But everyone passed him without a second look. "Potter is wasting away. She had met and been separated from you for less than a week. I know you are her soulmate. I won't even begin to question the how, only that she attracts the impossible. She works from dusk to dawn. She doesn't eat and she barely sleeps. In a day she will leave this city for home…she won't survive if she leaves."

Why? Why wouldn't she survive? Soulmates weren't bound to each other in the sense they didn't need to be around the other.

"She's nothing to live for…until you. I don't know what happened but you need to straighten it out because I am not about to see that kid die because of this!" For the first time since their discussion started, emotion slipped into Graves' voice, showing that he did care for that girl.

Steve stood back in shock. He wasn't saying what he thought he was saying? She wouldn't…she couldn't. But what did he know of her? They had spoken for a grand total of six hours, what was that to gain context into her psyche?

"You know me, know who I am. Does she?"

Was she rejecting him because of who he was?

"She doesn't know who you are and if she did, it wouldn't matter to her." Graves looked like he wanted nothing more than to run his hand through his beard but once again refrained from showing any outward sign of annoyance. "No-maj are not to know of our world but exceptions are made for soulmates. Potter and I are part of a society that can control and use magic. She is head of the English Aurors, wizard police. For the last week, her and her men have been helping secure the city."

"Magic? Wizards? Is this a joke?" What did this man take him for?

"You're the one who fought aliens who came through a hole in the sky and battled gods from another world. Magic is everywhere, in everything. You've felt it since I pulled you away. The magic on your skin; it's why no one has stopped us. We are cloaked to others, they see us but magic diverts their attention and mind, convincing them they see nothing."

…It wasn't that farfetched. With the things he had seen, the power of Loki and the Tesseract. He had accounted it to being advanced technology humans didn't yet understand…but could it be magic?

"…Magic, is a source of energy?"

Graves nodded, mouth finally curling in a flash of a smile.

"Magic is sentient, a living energy force. No-maj, people without magic, are exposed to it from birth. Magic is the source of soulmates. It lives in everything but certain people can wield it. Harry is a gifted individual, one whom magic calls to more strongly than others."

Steve let that sink in, thinking about this whole other world out there. It was one thing to believe that there were other people far beyond Earth, the vastness of space holding secrets, but to discover that there were still secrets yet to be uncovered on their own planet. That took a little bit longer to process.

"She said people died around her when she was younger. Why?"

"There was a war in Britain and like I said, magic calls to her."

He swallowed, his saliva feeling like molasses running down his throat. He knew what wasn't being said. She had been involved in the war. If she believed her soulmate to be dead because of the war then that means she had been involved before she was 17.

A child.

"This isn't my business nor my story to tell but I've seen too many good people waste away. I won't let that happen to her, do you understand?"

Yes, he understood and he felt that he knew her better, knew the pain was worse than he had originally thought.

Steve looked at Graves, staring him dead in the eyes, a look promising that he would save Rosemary Potter. Graves held out his hand and he saw the slip of paper with scrawled writing.

"This is her address. If you screw this up, I will bring my entire department down on you."

Steve gripped the piece of paper between his fingers, reading the address before looking up.

/

He knocked once…twice…thrice…

Nothing happened. Seconds passed and there was no indication that anyone was home. Why would Graves give him the address if she wasn't home?

He knocked again but the result was the same. He tried the doorknob and it opened with no resistance. Pushing it open gently, Steve looked around the dark apartment. There really wasn't anything to indicate someone was living here besides the odd articles here and there.

"Rosemary?" he hesitantly called out, looking into each room as he passed. He had a bad feeling creeping up the nerves of his spine, Graves' words echoing in his head louder and louder.

His cadenced increased to reflect his urgency. It was the third room that he found her and for one second he feared he had lost her.

"Rosemary?" his voice was soft, softer than he was used to using. His eyes zeroed in on the dark patches littering her clothes. Panic rising, he rushed to her side, hands probing every inch of her body for injuries, handling her in such a way unfitting of a woman but one he was desperate enough to use.

"What did you-," the sentence trailed off, unable to finish as the words caught in his throat.

Dead eyes looked right past him as if he was nothing. He cupped her face, calling out her name, trying to bring her back to reality.

His fingers brushed over two distinct scars. A curious scar on her forehead shaped like a lightning bolt and a gash across her jaw bone. His thumbs ran over her cheekbones, trying to coax her back to him.

"Please, I can help you. Let me help you."

"No one needs me."

"Maybe you need to take a chance, both of us…I can join you on this journey." He tilted her face up so she could see the sincerity painting his eyes, "What we do, we do together. I won't leave you or make you wait. I'll be whatever you need me to be, okay?"

A spark of life came back to those beautiful eyes, an awareness coming back gradually.

"You don't want to tie yourself to me, I am freak. I bring death to everyone I love."

"I've spent 70 years frozen. Death can try to take me from you but I will put up one hell of a fight."

It didn't bring a smile to her face like he had hoped, instead, she moved back, her face leaving his hands.

"Death takes everything. It is unforgiven, it is non-negotiable." The room seemed to darken, her silhouette barely visible as she tried to move further out of reach. But Steve wasn't having it. He followed her, keeping her within reaching distance.

"Not until you have something worth living for, I refuse to die. And I won't let you either!"

His hands moved back to the blood stains.

She dismissed his concern easily, "It's not mine. It's from my job."

"As an Auror?" Wide, green eyes stared at him in fear. "I know you have magic and are something called an Auror."

She was scared and if he was being honest, he was scared to. This was new territory for him but he had always fought for what he believed to be right and right now he knew Rosemary and he were right.

"You have scars too heavy for you to carry alone. If the only thing I can do is lighten this weight of yours, let me. I will take it. I was wrong to let you walk away."

"You don't know what you're saying. You'll leave, they all do. You can have a normal life with James. I won't interfere, I promise." He could see what she was doing. She was giving him up, unburdening him of her because somewhere in her mind she had decided she didn't deserve to be whole.

Steve looked at her and he felt like she wasn't even with him, that she was somewhere deep in her mind. So he did what Bucky always did for him on bad days: He took a warm washcloth and wiped down her skin and carefully maneuvered her ruined clothes off before slipping on a pair of shirt and pants he found lying around. He tucked her into bed, pulled up a chair and waited.

/

Harry fought off the draw of the sun, the call to wake up. Her head hurt, her body ached, and her mouth tasted nasty. It was the last one that got her out of bed, making her way automatically to the bathroom to brush her teeth. Walking out, she realized that she didn't remember going to sleep or changing her clothes. Toothbrush hanging from her mouth, her eyes traveled to the lump on the side of her couch. Walking closer, she was able to make out some features and also the shape of her glasses.

It was Steve.

Mouth full of toothpaste, Harry thought back to the night before but couldn't remember anything after getting home from a rough day. She had been covered in blood for a quarter of the day and had just wanted to get home. So when did Steve get here? Did he change her clothes? Because these were definitely not clothes she would sleep in.

Feeling the need to swallow, she made her way back to the bathroom to spit and rinse. Looking at herself in the mirror, she concluded she looked like shit and a shower wouldn't hurt. Red puffy eyes with dark bags greeted her reflection before she turned the shower on to the hottest setting, relaxing into the steam, letting her skin turn a warm pink as the blood, dirt, and grime from the last day washed down the drain.

Feeling marketable better, she entered her bedroom, wrapping the towel around her as she went for her glasses.

"Um-uh…I'll just wait in the kitchen," a higher pitched, slightly embarrassed voice sounded behind her as she bent to grab her glasses.

Turning on her toes, one arm gripping her chest to keep her towel secured, Harry gave Steve an apologetic smile. Seeing her half-naked was probably not something he was expecting to see first thing in the morning.

Pulling on her bra and button up, she grabbed a pair of leggings from her drawer. Walking into her kitchen pulling her hair up into a wet, messy bun, she started on hot water and popped a few slices of bread into the toaster.

Jumping up to sit on the counter, Harry finally turned her attention to the uninvited guest in her apartment.

"So," she drew out the 'o', not really sure what Steve's thoughts were. They hadn't exactly left on speaking terms. "What brings you here? Actually, how'd you know where I was staying?" She questioned, finally realizing that she had never told him her address or what part of the city she was staying in.

For his part, Steve couldn't look her in the eyes, not after the show she had given him this morning. Sure, he had tried his best to take her soiled clothes off the previous night but he hadn't been focused on her body. When he saw her in the towel, skin tinted red from the heat, it was like all cognitive thoughts went out the window and his brain stalled.

"Hello?"

A hand waved in front of his face, drawing his attention. Cheeks splashed red at his obvious distractions, Steve cleared his throat, finally meeting those green eyes he couldn't get out of his mind.

"One of your colleagues provided me with your address. I came in – you were covered in blood. You don't remember this?"

None of that sounded familiar to her. She shook her head negatively.

"None of it?" his voice had a weird tone and Harry looked at him curiously as she popped the toast up and poured the hot water into two mugs, placing one in front of Steve.

Pulling back to return to her spot on the counter, "No. Did something happen?" A light bulb went off in her head at what must be his problem, "Don't worry, that blood wasn't mine. It was a rough day at work yesterday."

The way she just brushed it off, like Steve hadn't died inside when he saw her covered in blood, a dead look in her eyes. Did she really not remember anything at all? If that was the case, he had to tell her his confession again. He would tell her again and again if he had to.

"I was wrong to let you walk away, thinking what you did. I won't make you do anything you don't want to but I can't let you leave without hearing what I have to say."

Harry silently watched Steve as he stood and walked until he was standing in front of her. Her throat went dry, the crumbles of toast like sandpaper as she tried to swallow her mouthful.

"I've spent the last three years of my life without Bucky and I haven't felt anything like what I feel when I'm with you since I was with him last. I thought my life ended when I lost him but then I saw you and I just knew –."

Harry's mind went blank, trying to process what Steve was trying to tell her.

"I'll be whatever you need me to be. I'll help you face your demons. I'll be your shield. I'll be your friend. But I can't let you walk out of my life."

His passion slipped through and Harry knew, looking into those baby blue eyes – he knew. Oddly enough, she wasn't upset as she thought she would be. People had meddled worse in her life.

Setting the warm mug between her thighs, she turned her eyes down, studying her hands intently.

"You spoke with Mattis or Graves. I'm inclined to believe the latter as Mattis has a healthy fear of me should his lips spill anything they shouldn't." Silence met her statement, neither confirming nor denying. "So? Magic? Wars? A hidden society? Does any of it get a reaction?"

That finally drew a chuckle from the man in front of her.

"Honestly, after being frozen for seven decades and then fighting aliens that came from a hole in the sky – you'll have to try harder if you want to impress me."

That grabbed her attention as her head rocketed up to stare at the kind face she first ran into.

Steve indicated to the table, knowing this was a conversation better had sitting down, "It looks like we both have much to discuss."

/:END

 **Extra:**

"Don't you eat more than toast?"

Harry shrugged, not really thinking on it. She had operated on less in the mornings for years. She didn't really get an appetite until a little before midday. The toast would hold her over until then.

Steve let it go, for now, moving to eat his offered piece, mouth opening to voice his protest when he saw her moving to turn the stove on. The eggs and bacon smelled too good and with another piece of toast, Steve relented only because he saw her grab some egg whites.

"Don't you like bacon?"

She smiled and shook her head negatively, after years of watching Vernon and Dudley scarf down indigestible amounts, she had never looked at the meat the same. "Never really was. Gave all my bacon to my best friend in school; think I gave him pre-stage heart disease." She let out a laugh, remembering Hermione's lecture in third year about how balanced diets are the key to growth during puberty. Ron ate too much grease and fat while Harry ate too little and engulfed a little too much in sweets.

Hey, she managed to hit an impressive five foot four no problem compared to Hermione's five foot seven and a half.

"Bacon causes heart disease?" Steve was confused. Bacon was supposed to be good for you.

An awkward silence blanketed them for a few seconds as Steve's ignorance of the times was obvious for the first time.

"Yeah, there's a bunch of this research going on about fats and heart disease. Apparently, too much fat and cholesterol clog up your arteries and you can die." Science really wasn't her best subject but she had learned something from the years of hell at Privet Drive under Dudley's diet that Petunia made everyone follow. Fatty, greasy food – bad. Leafy, fruity, natural food – good. It wasn't the best way to learn but she survived.

Steve stared at his plate for a moment as if deciding on something before he dug back in. That was interesting information he would have to look into more at a later time but for now he was positive the super-serum took care of stuff like fat and cholesterol.

Harry gazed at him in fondness, her face taking a softness usually reserved for his godson.

/

 **I've debated responding to these 'reviews' for a while but even though the reviewer is a coward and will only review as a guest, I am not. So I am sorry for people reading the story that have to read this but this is for those thinking for pointless flames: I will respond and if it is guest I will delete it. I'm sick of people leaving comments who have clearly not even read the story, only saw that it was genderbent and in their self-rightiouness, leave a review complaing about how "'Harry' 'Naruto' are males and that females are twisted because 'insert reason' and why didn't you just make it gay."**

 **On to the review, of whom I am sure is the one who left similiar reviews on my other stories that have since been deleted.**

 **So guest#1, I call you that since you apparantly can't even create an account**

 **Let me start by saying I think a few brain cells died reading your review because you clearly did not grammar or spell check before you posted and I'm pretty sure 5 year olds can write better than you. Are you sure you really have '1tetra trillion brain cells', really, because I find it sad that you can't put even two of them together to form a real critic.** **¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ Believe me, reading your 'review' the only word going through my '1tetra trillion brain cells' is wtf as well.  
**

 **Based on what I could make out from your 'review', not only are you a mysogynist but you are also homophobic, stop me if I'm wrong, please. I can tell right away you didn't really read the story because there are multiple lines in the story stating that soulmates are not always romantic and it is purposely vague on the pairings so people can interpert it as they like. Were Steve and Bucky really together as a couple? They could've been or it can be as close friends. Whatever the reader wants as clearly stated by Steve who said he would be whatever Harry wanted him to be. So clearly, you wanted them to be together since you pointed it out...**

 **And what exactly am I "trying to slip through the readers"? Please tell me what your pea sized brain came up with since you claim to be one of these 'critics'. It's great that you admit that you are a novice, we all are. No one is doing fanfiction to get paid. And how exactly is this 'twisted'? Please give me details besided the "well Harry is male". Yes, I am aware of that. And Hermione is female and Voldemort is the Dark Lord. So, now that we've established the basics, can we move onto something called FANFICTION where literally we can write and change the story however we like? Literally, in the summary, you can tell Harry is female, yet to still chose to click on it...are you sure those trillions of brain cells are working?**

 **And the hell is your last sentence supposed to mean? That girls want harems and want to be the main protangist? It's called representation and what my gender is has nothing to do with it. You want to talk about girls wanting harems, how about all the stories on here that are nothing but males having nuremous females 'serving' him. I've been on this website for a long time and I have seen some pretty far out there stuff that I've had to step back from but I've never left a review bashing the author no matter how much I didn't care for the story.**

 **So I'll just conclude that, no, I will not delete your review because I think people should read it and form their own opinion on exactly what type of person you are. And by this point, I actually can't read it without laughing at it so...there you go. You wanted a response, right? You got it.**


	2. Too Much Is Never Enough

**Well, guess who got inspiration for a Bucky meeting? I really don't know what I was thinking when I got this inspiration except Harry and Steve's introduction was way too heavy so Bucky's need some lightness and humour sssooooo here we are!**

 **/**

So she didn't have the best track record for meeting her soulmates…she blamed fate and that damn snake. Honestly, try to do something nice for them and they turn on you!

She was in New York for the weekend, both her and Steve putting away some time to spend together. Both their lives had gotten hectic the last few months what with him uncovering HYDRA still existed and her training a new class of Aurors. Don't ask her how or why there was a garter snake in the middle of the city but she was trying to be helpful in taking it to safety. Instead, the evil creature turned on her, striking at her leg. It had decided her pant leg was the perfect climbing branch and as halfway up her cargo pants before she got a hold of it, hissing at it fiercely as it began to coil around her calf.

She was acutely aware of the man that had paused a few meters ahead and began to whisper threateningly to the snake that refused to move. _Oh no_. She heard the footsteps come closer. Plastering on her best smile, she looked at the man in false reassurance.

"This isn't what it looks like...I swear?"

The situation was embarrassing enough as is. How was it, the man in front of her was clothed in multiple thin layers looking worse for wear yet she was the one that looked mental?

/

Bucky showed no reaction to the strange situation. He initially wasn't going to do anything but something in him told him to stop and help this weird snake lady. Mentally shrugging as he had nothing to lose and she did look like she needed help, he moved closer, giving her the best smile he could as he put one knee to the ground and grabbed the tail of the snake currently coiled around her leg, his other hand running up the outside of her leg to loosen the snake's coil. It was awkward and very intimate but not something Bucky really noticed with his new mission.

Harry, on the other hand, definitely noticed the hand crawling up her leg, ghosting across the fabric as the stranger coaxed the irritated snake out. She held her breath, trying to think of anything else but she kept coming back to that touch. It took everything she had not to attack the man, knowing that he was only trying to help. The second she felt the hand move any further up, the man was getting a broken nose at minimum.

Finally, he got the snake out and offered it to her with a silent look as it hissed fiercely.

She blushed, still red from how intimate they had been and cursing that he wasn't bothered by it. She took it carefully and as it went to snap at her, she dropped it to the ground and sent a mild stinging hex at it. It slithered off, using a few choice words at her. She resisted saying her thoughts back, personally hope the creature got hit by a car.

"Fucking snake." She ran her hand through her hair, trying to straighten herself out from the disaster she had been in. Her hand barely made it out of her ponytail when it's being taken in a tight grip. She tries to pull back but the man is too strong. Her eyes widen when she sees what he's focused on: her sleeve had ridden up to show a sliver of her soulmates names.

She looked at him now, really looked and she cursed herself for not noticing what was so obvious: this man was a soldier.

"My name is James Buchanan Barnes." He whispered to himself, almost as if he was trying to convince himself of that. She pulled her wrist again but it didn't budge. She was feeling a prickle of fear now. And right as she was deciding to hex him, he let it go. "My name is Bucky. I am not a weapon. I am not _their_ weapon."

 _Wait_ , Steve had told her about Bucky, that he had gone missing after the fall of HYDRA. No one could find him, almost like he didn't exist. He had sworn that it was his friend that had pulled him from the river and saved his life.

She couldn't decide if she wanted to step back or take a step forward. The last Steve had seen their soulmate, he wasn't really stable but he had also said he was injured. The savior in her took over and she approached him cautiously, ready to draw her wand if she was wrong.

"James? Bucky?" Blue eyes caught her green and there was a spark of recognition in them, more than a spark...he had his memories.

That gave her some hope that she could get them both out of here and get him help. If he had his memories then he knew Steve and she could work with that.

"Steve and I have been looking for you." She pulled up her sleeve to willingly show him the rest of her soul mark, to prove that she didn't want to hurt him. "It appeared when I was 23. Steve's appeared only two years ago."

Bucky took her wrist in his hand and she immediately noticed the difference in his grip compared to Steve's. Where Steve was always looking for her permission and had a soft grip, Bucky's was rough and with a purpose. Not that he hurt her, but definitely wasn't used to human touch or at least considering the other person.

Bucky studied the names, eyes taking in every letter and comparing them to what he remembers from all those decades ago. Of whispered promises in the dark of night, chapped lips finding each other on the battlefield, and the feeling of rightness being with his soulmate.

"You and Steve...are together?" He pulled the words out in confusion, the Steve from his memories would never have given up on him. But maybe the prospect of a soulmate that wasn't broken, that hadn't tried to kill him had finally driven him away.

 _Oh_ , she was hoping to avoid that question for the time being.

"Ah, no. Not in that sense...I mean not that we don't want to – I mean..." Merlin, she was messing everything up. Pulling herself together, she took a deep breath and started over. "I live in England and Steve is based in New York. We talk and visit when we can."

That was the thing, she still worked as an Auror, the head of the department, while Steve was still with the Avengers.

"He's still the gentleman." She heard Bucky mumble as he dropped her hand, taking a step back from her personal space.

Harry didn't want him to move, though. Now that she had him here, she didn't want to let him go. She had waited ten years to meet him. But it was he who finally asked the question.

"What's your name?"

And Harry finally noticed that the arm that held his soul marks must now be his metal one. He and Hydra had no clue that she was his soulmate.

"Rosemary Euphemia Potter but everyone calls me Harry. Merlin, I'm sorry but you don't know how long I've waited to meet you." She flushed red in embarrassment. Merlin, she sounded like a bloody teenager. She was trying not to be weird (and failing), Bucky didn't know her and the only soul mark he knew he was connected to was Steve. She was some strange woman to him who now claimed to have a relationship with his soulmate.

Bucky wasn't sure about her. He had acted on instinct when he saw her wrist, saw the familiar letters of his name. He had needed to know. It was unexpected and he was worried that Steve had moved on from him. He wouldn't blame him, he deserves someone that was whole not someone broken like him.

"I'm sorry. This must be so confusing for you. But Steve has been looking everywhere for you. I can take you to him?" Harry wasn't sure what to do next. Bucky wasn't responding how she thought. Well, one, she wasn't expecting him to have his memories but not his soul marks.

Bucky nodded his head and she takes it as a 'follow me' gesture. She does, on guard but excited. These last few months have been the best in years. She feels alive, like she has a purpose now. There was something that clicked once Steve entered the picture. She slowed down, took a different look on life. Not that it happened all at once but she noticed after talking with him for a month that she felt different. She didn't approach it with him yet but it was on her list. With Bucky here, it just got pushed back a bit more but she would make due, it could wait for this.

Bucky kept Harry in his sight. She had a little pep in her step but he could tell that she also had her guard up. So she was trained. He filed that piece of information away.

He led her to a little cafe he frequented. It was nothing special but it had the news on and gave him a great vantage of the Avengers Tower. Harry noticed this as well.

Ordering a coffee and tea, Harry fidgeted. She literally had no idea what to say. At that point, what do you say to a guy like Bucky?

He seemed to have no desire to talk either, merely observing her with his penetrating gaze.

She fidgeted some more, subconsciously rubbing at her soul marks. It was a relief when their drinks arrived. She hastily made her tea and hid behind her cup.

She was the Head of the Auror's for Merlin's sake! And here she was like a blushing school girl! She hadn't been like this when she met Steve.

"My name, when did it appear?"

Harry jumped at the sudden question, having been lost in her panic.

"Um, a few years after my 17th. It was in 2003 if I remember correctly."

Of course, she remembered what year her first soul mark appeared. She remembered it down to the day. Her life changed, she knew that someone was out there for her. Sure it took a few years but she had found them. All that pain and suffering had to mean something now.

She was good at hiding her emotions, Bucky noticed as he took a sip of the piss-poor coffee. As he said, he only came for the news and the vantage point.

He took the date and did a brief mental calculation; yes, that would make sense as 2003 was the first time he had been out of cryo in almost six years. After the super soldier fiasco, they hadn't wanted to take a risk with him so kept him on ice as well. It would make sense that her soul mark would register as dead while he and Steve were on ice because technically they were dead, all bodily functions including heartbeat and brain activity were at near-death states. When they were unfrozen, the names would appear, as they had.

It said a lot about the girl that she had two soul mates that were out of time, that were super soldiers. What must she be then? He already concluded that she was a soldier but she gave off no allegiances and she wasn't recognizable to him. He knew the top threats from every county. But Steve must know; he probably saw what he saw and asked. But Steve was also polite enough not to ask such a question. So maybe he didn't know.

"Who do you fight for?" So he wasn't Steve. He liked getting straight to business.

Harry choked on her tea, not expecting such a question. Honestly, at this point, she might just die from all the surprises.

"Pardon?"

But was it really surprising that he noticed? After all, he was probably trained to observe all cues.

"Your eyes shift to the exits, you're tense, almost waiting for an attack; you have a scar on your right hand which tells me it's your dominant but also prone to injuries; you also have an oddly shaped indentation in your right sleeve which tells me you have a weapon hidden. You're also oddly okay with Steve's line of work and me being a brainwashed former HYDRA agent."

Bucky sits back, almost smug in his analysis of her.

Harry sits there stunned for a moment before a challenging light enters her eyes and a playful smile touches her lips.

"And is that all you've noticed of me?"

Bucky answers back, "Is there more?" Almost challengingly.

Alright, she'll take a stab at it. She was kinda rusty but she pulls out all the stops.

"My turn." Her eyes did a quick glance over of him. "You live in the area, probably somewhere nearby, somewhere that was familiar before you were taken by HYDRA. You've had your memories back for some time which tells me HYDRA wasn't that good at keeping them away. You're oddly well-adjusted so this has happened before or you've been trained to compartmentalize. I heard your arm lock so it was injured recently, I'd guess when you fought Steve, and you don't know how to fix it or you can't. You have approximately four weapons on you: a gun on your back, one in your jacket, one on your ankle, and a knife hidden behind your belt." She saw the guarded look come back and knew she may have overstepped with the last one. "But I also know that no matter how hard they tried, HYDRA couldn't wipe you completely. You're kind and you want to help people which is why you helped me today. You're a good person, Bucky. Maybe a little rough around the edges but we all are."

His eyes softened a little and Harry could see that she hadn't ruined it. He tries again, his voice coming out softer this time, a hint of a Brooklyn accent leaking through.

"So your job?"

She let out a bark of a laugh, drawing a few looks their way. A few of them disapproving looks from older patrons. Harry didn't bother to pay them any attention, focused on how different Bucky looked now. She wouldn't say he was comfortable now but he was definitely warming up to her.

"Now that...we'll definitely need Steve for otherwise, you won't believe me." She didn't outright deny him but there was no way she could tell him that she was the head of the military unit of a secret world of magic. He'd either attack her or escape. Neither of which she wanted.

"If you can't tell me your job, then tell me why I found you with a snake up your trousers?" He raised an eyebrow as he finished off his coffee, motioning the waitress for a refill.

Bugger. She had forgotten all about that in all the excitement.

Why not? He probably already thought her crazy and Steve could wait another few hours. She was sure her surprise would more than make up for her tardiness.

"Do you believe in magic?" she asked innocently, putting her tea to her lips, pinky out all proper.

 _Oh, he and Stevie had gotten a good one._


	3. I Will Be

**Years later:**

"Dammit, Steve! Those don't go there!"

"That's where they've always gone!"

Harry looked at her boys as they tried to redecorate the room. She offered to help but had been regulated to the sidelines…her casted leg may have something to do with that. She had taken a rather unusual curse on her last mission and had been on medical leave since. Which is why Steve and Bucky had her sitting out while they tried to redecorate. Honestly, she could do it with magic but there was something satisfying about doing things the muggle way. And the boys insisted they do it themselves.

"Having the desk here gives me the perfect lighting for drawing!"

"But then it's in the way of everything else!"

As if to prove his point, Snuffles, their adopted rescue dog who was missing a leg but didn't let that bother him, came running across the tile floor, skidding into the desk. He shook his head, dazed, but immediately trotted over to Harry for some affectionate and head scratching.

Bucky looked at Steve with the 'I told you so' expression Harry was becoming more and more familiar with.

"Who's a good boy? Yes, you are, yes you are!" Snuffled dropped his ball into Harry's waiting hand.

She threw the slobbered ball for him and he chased after it, a thud something in the distance, indicating he had run into something else.

Feeling her stomach growl, she hopped up with her crutches and started making her way to the kitchen for lunch.

That grabbed both of their attention as they abandoned their little argument and rushed to her side, already fretting over her.

With anyone else, she would've denied the help, but from Bucky, she gladly accepted it as Steve ran to the kitchen to start on lunch. That had become his pastime since coming out of the ice: cooking. He had looked up videos and how-to's and Bucky and Harry were now his guinea pigs.

Bucky pulled out her chair and helped her put the crutches aside so she could sit. Snuffles came skidding into the kitchen, jumping up into a chair at the table, dropping his slobbery ball onto the table. One look from Harry and he was slinking off to Steve, begging for scraps.

"That dog is too spoiled," she grumbled, using a Scorgify on the table where the ball had been.

Bucky chuckled, "He deserves it."

She knows what he means and agrees with him. It was part of the reason Snuffles came to live with them in the first place. He was abused and crippled by a previous owner. None of them could let that go after hearing it, so Snuffles came home with them that day. Bucky had worked on therapy with him so the lost appendage didn't hinder him and his personality began to shine through after a few weeks.

They all loved that dog even if Harry always ended up being the voice of reason in setting boundaries. But he rarely crossed them. He was a good dog; unusually intelligent. In some instances, he reminded her of Padfoot but that wasn't fair to make comparisons. But she did often wonder if Snuffles had been sent to them. He was too perfect.

Steve set lunch down at the table a few minutes later, sliding into his spot, Snuffles at his heels, wagging his tail.

"So," she started off, drawing the attention to herself. "I've been talking it over with Hermione and I've decided to retire."

Wide-eyed looks were sent her way so she continued.

"This last raid put a heavy toll on my body. This job has taken a lot from me."

And it had. She had a scar across her eye, one stretching from her chin to her neck, and various others littered across her body. To be honest, she was beginning to look a bit like Mad-Eye.

"Ron and Neville have retired from active duty and I think it's time I followed. Twenty years is a long time to be an Auror. The Healers said I might have lingering nerve damage to my leg after it heals so I would only be a hindrance in the field." She was still trying to sort out her emotions on that particular piece of information. "I mean, it only makes sense. Steve's kinda retired as the Avengers have everything handled and you've been working on yourself, Bucky. Things have been quiet recently so this would be the perfect time."

Silence followed her statement and she wondered if she had said something wrong.

It dragged on as the boys turned to look at each other, silently communicating.

It was something she had been giving a lot of thought to. It was like she said, she had given her time and the rest of her friends had already moved on. She had given the best years of her life and she wanted to finally live her life how she wanted, without answering to anyone else.

It had taken a lot of work to get where they were now. Steve had been the glue holding them both together for the first few months but eventually, Bucky and Harry found their own rhythms and no one could tell that the three hadn't been together their entire life.

It was Bucky and Steve getting used to a bond they thought lost decades ago and relearning each other.

It was Steve and Harry connecting over expectations and their love of the world. Their belief that there were causes worth fighting for, and causes worth dying for.

It was Bucky and Harry joking around, knees deep in their trauma and helping each other get through it. Harry not handling Bucky like he was made of glass, having no preconceived expectations. They loved Steve but there was still that lingering light of expectations and the brief dimming when Bucky didn't react how he used to.

Steve was trying and they knew he didn't do it on purpose but with Harry, all she knew was this Bucky and he liked being free with her.

It had taken a few years to get to this point but they all knew they wanted to spend the rest of their lives with each other. Natasha had quite literally pushed Steve out of the Avengers and Harry had paid for the best doctors she could find to help with Bucky. They had both went to Stark to see about a new arm for him as well.

"We also want to talk about that," Steve began.

"The city is a pretty loud place and if we're retiring, we were thinking of somewhere peaceful and private."

"There's a plot of land we've been looking at, Buck and I have been working on it these last few months. There's a lake and a forest, away enough for you to practice your magic."

Both looked at her, waiting to hear her answer.

She knew they must've been planning this for some time and were only waiting for the right moment. They knew that at any other time, she would've been hesitant but with her confession, the gates had been opened. They were all ready to settle down to a quiet life with each other and Snuffles as companions.

She knew Bucky wanted some chickens and goats so that was probably in the works as well. And she wasn't against learning how to fish. Steve was probably designing the house and everything around it which means she had nothing to worry about.

"Yes."

Their shoulders lost their tension and she had to let out a laugh that they really thought she would say no.

Snuffles joined in on the laughter, woofing at the joy of his family.

 **Flash forward a few more years:**

All three were seated on the dock, fishing poles in hand. Bucky and Harry were having a competition on who could catch the largest fish while Steve just patiently waited for a nip.

"Nothing beats good old fashion bait: a nice big worm!" Bucky said in a sage-like voice as he observed his line in the water. "Don't need flashy lure or magical bait."

Harry threw him a heated gaze, the competitor in her fired up. They were situated on either side of the dock with Steve seated between them. When the initial competition had been announced, Steve excused himself from it, not wanting to get caught in another war between the two. There was nothing on the line, just the duo's pride.

"It's called technology; maybe you should get with the time, old man!"

Steve rolled his eyes at the insult. It had been years since they had been introduced to the 21st century so that line was way outdated but it didn't stop Harry from using it.

He saw her bobber drifting with the light breeze. Nothing was caught on her hook yet. The same with Bucky. His bobber was farther out and had probably lost its bait already.

The other two froze in shock, quickly reeling in their lines when Steve calmly stood up and quickly reeled in his line, keeping an eye out for Snuffles who had been swimming out there a few minutes before.

They stood, dumbfounded at their empty hooks while Steve smugly held up his two and a half foot walleye.

A muffled bark grabbed their attention as Snuffles walked up the launch site, shaking out his fur all while maintaining a firm grip on a smaller fish.

"That counts as mine. I trained Snuffles to fish." Bucky piped up after shaking out of his stupor, letting out a laugh as Snuffles sneezed and accidentally let go of the fish which flailed in a bid for freedom.

His laughter was cut short when Harry magically pushed him into the water. He came up sputtering and coughing at the water that had invaded his lungs.

He tried to splash Harry but she was too far back on the dock, instead, he pulled himself up swiftly onto the dock, Steve doing nothing to help but raising an eye as if to say, "You dug your grave."

Bucky rolled his eyes, removing his wet shirt and running a hand through his hair.

Harry threw him a smirk as she pulled Snuffles into her arms, rubbing him down from his head to his hind-quarters.

"You're such a good boy! Yes, you are!"

Snuffles' tongue rolled to the side of his mouth, taking in the praise, tail beating against the weathered wood as his eyes closed in pleasure.

'Woof'

Steve looked on fondly, knowing he would never change a thing about this life he had found and built for himself.

/

 **And there it is, the final conclusion to Stand By Me! Thank you so much for all your lovely reviews. I honestly never thought I write past the first chapter but the three arc conclusion ended up wrapping things up nicely. I had this chapter in the works before I saw Endgame but with the ending they gave Steve and Bucky, I knew I had to give you guys something to make up for it (I needed something to make up for that ending).**

 **Thank you for being on this journey with me as I say goodbye to Stand By Me just past the anniversary of the original posting!**


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